The present invention relates to a method for the treatment of overweight and a device for carrying out the method.
Overweight, (obesity or adipositas) is a typical phenomenon of affluent societies. Typically, obesity is defined by an increase in body weight which is measured by such indices as the Broca-Index or computed by the body-mass-index (BMI). According to the WHO definition, obesity is present at a BMI of at least 30 kg/m3.
Obesity is, at least in the western industrialized countries, a widespread disease. Almost every third adult citizen in Germany is obese and the numbers in other western countries are similar. Men are suffering sooner from the disease, that is, at a younger age; from the age of forty on those afflicted are predominantly women. In the last few years, it was found that more and more children are obese. This development is dangerous in as much as obese children have an increased risk to develop as adults nutrition dependent diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes or coronary heart disease.
The negative consequences of obesity are varied and affect almost all organs, especially burdened are the heart and the lungs.
In obese persons, the heart must constantly work harder in order to supply the fatty tissue with sufficient blood flow. Moreover, there is more retention of water and sodium, which leads to high blood pressure and further burdens the heart. As a result, angina pectoris, coronary infarction or acute or chronic heart disease can follow. The lungs also have to work harder to supply the increased oxygen requirement. Oftentimes, the lung capacity is insufficient which results in chronic oxygen deficiency. These conditions are further aggravated by interference with breathing during sleeping, the so-called sleep apnea syndrome. Person, so afflicted complain about sleepiness during the day, loud snoring and restless sleep. Weight loss, almost completely alleviates these ailments.
Obesity is one of the most important risk factors for the onset of diabetes mellitus type 2.
Especially frequently occurring are fat metabolism disorders, that are accompanied by elevated levels of LDL, cholesterol and triglycerides that are dangerous for the heart/blood circulation system. In addition, there is the threat of fatty degeneration of the liver, gout and gall stones.
Obesity leads to stress on the joints, in particular, in the area of the spine, in the hip joints as well as the knee and ankle joints. Obesity accelerates their deterioration and leads to chronic pain that oftentimes can be treated only with pain killers or through surgery.
Obesity not only leads to bodily problems but can also manifest itself in mental problems. It can lead to low self esteem, isolation or depression that can, in a vicious cycle further lead to “binging attacks” and additional weight gain.
Obesity results only when the daily calorie intake over a long period of time exceeds that of the energy need of the body (positive energy balance). Today, it is believed that various other factors also play a role in the formation of obesity. Aside from eating behavior and the lack of movement, metabolic activity plays also a role in obesity.
In order to treat obesity, a variety of approaches exist that essentially rest on three pillars: nutrition, exercise and behavior therapy. However, these lead in only a small portion of the obese to a lasting weight loss. Among others, a lasting successful therapy requires considerable changes in lifestyle and eating habits of the patients. Many patients terminate the therapy prematurely, or post-therapy, they return to the old habits. This can result even in an increased weight gain, the so-called yo-yo effect.
In particularly difficult cases of adipositas, change in life style and eating habits have to be accompanied by medication or surgery, which oftentimes proves stressful on the patient.
In all therapy situations, compliance with the therapy by persons suffering from obesity is thus rather low.
From DE 100 62 050 A1 a method for the treatment of cellulite is known where a temporally variable magnetic field is applied to the surface of the body parts to be treated. It is also stated that this method can be applied in the treatment of obesity. To the person skilled in the art it remains however unclear whether and with what type of adaptations, a magnetic field therapy would be successful in the area of obesity.
It would therefore be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved method and/or device for the treatment of obesity to obviate prior art shortcomings and to provide the will to greater compliance in the patients. It would also be desirable to provide a method and/or device which can lead to permanent reduction of body weight, which is simple in application and is comfortable for a patient to comply with and/or is without side effects.